Background

The development of the future food industry is heavily focused on plant-based foods. These foods usually contain phytic acid (PA), which has been considered an anti-nutritional component that hinders the absorption and utilization of minerals, proteins, and other essential nutrients. However, PA also possesses beneficial physiological effects on the human body. Given the increasing attention towards achieving nutritional equilibrium in diet, it has become imperative to conduct comprehensive and integrated evaluations of the role of PA in plant-based foods.

Scope and approach

This review provides an elaborate summary of recent studies pertaining to PA. The logic and importance of PA research were expounded based on its structural and physicochemical properties, impact on food components, potential health benefits for the human body, and practical application in the food industry.

Key findings and conclusions

PA is an important organic acid naturally existing in cereals, legumes, nuts, and oil seeds. It can interact with minerals, biomacromolecules, small molecules, and certain digestive enzymes, interfering with their absorption and utilization based on the specific dose-effect relationships. Particularly, PA exhibits advantageous effects for human beings, including scavenging free radicals, prevention of type 2 diabetes, anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancer attributes. Furthermore, PA holds potential utility as a delivery carrier, antioxidant, and inhibitor of browning and pathogenic microorganism growth in the food industry. To attain a functional and anti-nutritional balance, further exploration of PA in diverse food matrices is highly warranted.